Bruneaux Castle is located in Firminy, in the Loire, 15 km south-west of Saint-Étienne.
Located rue Chanzy, in the center, it is a building of medieval origin mentioned at the beginning of the 15th century.
Acquired in the 17th century by the Anselmet family, it was rebuilt after the marriage in 1753 of the heiress of the place, Marie-Anne Anselmet, to Jean-Baptiste Michel de Charpin, also Baron of Feugerolles. Only the kitchen, the vaulted cellars and a few utility rooms have survived from the old fortified house.
The new castle presents a Louis XVI style with its antique references, the central body of the two-storey house being crowned by a baluster and the door being topped by a tympanum and framed by Hellenistic columns. Two slightly recessed pavilions complete the facade.
As for the interiors, they have remained furnished as they were then (portrait gallery, small and large lounges, library, etc.).
Backed by a vast park, the castle was acquired in 1967 by the city. Protected as historical monuments, it houses an eco-museum dedicated in part to activities testifying to daily life in the castle in the 18th century (wig room, bakery) but also to crafts (nail maker's workshop, carpentry). A classroom of yesteryear has been reconstructed.
In addition, a "witness mine" has been created which presents what coal mining was like in the region (this activity continued at Firminy even until 1920).
In addition to the interiors of the castle and this "witness mine", the public can also discover and enjoy the park and its shaded paths, and visit the restored chapel of the castle, or even a medieval garden.
Open every day except Monday. Price: from 2.50 and 4 euros. Information on +33 4 77 89 38 46.
